Losing a Friend

     No matter how old you are, losing a friend never gets any easier.  I just lost someone who was so much more than a friend to me.  They loved me unconditionally, something that is rare to find outside of your family.  The beginning is the hardest.  I am still waiting for the emails that she would send me all of the time.  They were the most inspirational and uplifting emails, and would always brighten my day.  If someone means the world to you, make sure that you tell them while you have the chance. 

     You definitely have to go through a period of denial before you can accept that a person is truly gone.  There are a few other stages that are neither fixed nor guaranteed for everyone who experiences the loss of a loved one, but the eventual stage is acceptance of the loss.  It may take a while and a lot of struggling, but hopefully you will get there.

     When you have a great friend, hold on to them.  Don’t let stupid arguments or unimportant issues get in the way of the time you have together.  Forgive and forget.  I know that is something that is so much easier said than done, but it is a skill that needs to be mastered if you are to enjoy life and appreciate the people in it.  If someone is worth loving, you can overlook almost anything.  Meet them all the way and back.  That way when that person is no longer in your life, you will have no regrets.  There will be no, “Oh I SHOULD have.”  “If ONLY I had forgiven them yesterday.”  Seize the day, and live as if today is yesterday, (that way if you had been putting off until tomorrow, today is yesterday’s tomorrow).

     Regret nothing, and be reckless with your love and forgiveness.  There are more important things than to be angry all of the time.  And you’ll be surprised at the friendships you’ll find when you allow yourself to be open to them.

     I hope you ALL find at least one person who was as awesome as the friend I had.